[Functional morphology of the liver].
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to F W Schmidt.
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The case of a patient suffering from multifocal idiopathic stenosing enteritis is described. The clinical picture is characterized by a recurrent ileus-symptomatology, which is conditioned by multiple strictures of the small bowel with a considerable dilatation of the inserted small bowel segments, by a differently marked malabsorption syndrome and by an intermittent clinical course. Aspects of the differential diagnosis are discussed, especially in relation to the non-granulomatous ulcerative jejuno-ileitis.
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We report the case of a 74-year-old woman who was admitted to hospital with progressive dysphagia. Further examinations revealed a tumor in the esophagus in which the macroscopic aspect and the histological work-up showed a primary malignant melanoma. The histogenesis of primary malignant melanoma in the esophagus is discussed, and a short review of the literature presented.
Endotoxins in plasma were monitored during treatment in 18 patients hospitalised for acute exacerbation of Crohn's disease: systemic endotoxaemia was found on admission in all but one. The patients were randomly divided into two groups: one receiving treatment with total parenteral nutrition and steroids. To decrease the absorbable endotoxin pool, the other group was additionally treated with whole gut irrigation and 5-aminosalicylic acid was added to the lavage fluid. In most of these patients endotoxaemia cleared after intestinal lavage and they needed shorter hospitalisation. Earlier improvement was also indicated by a faster decrease of the Crohn's disease activity index and vanHees index. In the group receiving conservative treatment alone, endotoxaemia was controlled within three weeks. We conclude that endotoxaemia occurs in most patients suffering from active Crohn's disease. Control of endotoxaemia after intestinal lavage suggests that systemic endotoxaemia is caused by absorption of endotoxins from the gut. Earlier improvement after whole gut irrigation indicates its beneficial effect in active Crohn's disease.
The introduction of the carbon dioxide laser as an endoscopic surgical instrument has stimulated interest in its application for removal of stenotic lesions of the larynx. Clinical reports have indicated mixed results in the efficacy of this treatment modality. Nineteen large dogs received acute subglottic injuries from a high-speed electric drill and electrocautery. All animals developed obstructing lesions from 7 to 21 days after injury. With at least weekly removal of granulation tissue and dilations, all animals developed mature subglottic and/or posterior commissure scars. Two animals required tracheostomy. The 15 animals in the experimental group underwent 16 laser procedures. Three animals had vaporization of one third of the scar, three of one half of the scar, and three had total circumferential vaporization. Five animals underwent microtrapdoor flap procedures. Of these, four had a single flap and one had three separate flaps created. In the remaining animal in the experimental group a glottic web developed, which was totally ablated. In one animal treated with a microtrapdoor flap procedure a posterior sinus tract also developed and was treated with laser ablation. The animals undergoing segmental resection of scar demonstrated no improvement in airway size. Those undergoing total resection experienced a worsening of the condition. Those undergoing microtrapdoor flap repair demonstrated moderate improvement in airway size. It can be concluded that large areas of scar removal in the larynx by the CO2 laser will result in prompt recurrence and possible worsening of the scar and smaller submucosal resection of the scar, with preservation of mucosa by the microtrapdoor flap technique, may be helpful in improving the airway.
The acute effects of human atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) were investigated in 10 patients with liver cirrhosis and ascites. In all patients, diuresis and natriuresis were stimulated with a wide individual variation (50 to 500%) in response to a bolus injection of 30 micrograms ANP. No side effects of treatment were observed. Continuous infusion of ANP (300 micrograms/10 h/d) in a patient with liver cirrhosis and ascites, resistant to conservative forms of diuretic therapy, resulted in an initial increase of diuresis and natriuresis which subsequently returned to pretreatment levels. After initiation of pulsatile nocturnal treatment (5 pulses of 30 micrograms ANP every 3 h), diuresis increased, leading to a persistent normalization of sodium and chloride excretion. The patient lost 8 kg of weight during 16 days of treatment. Out of 3 additional patients on the same therapeutic regime, only one experienced a weight loss of 5 kg due to increased natriuresis and chloruresis. The remaining 2 patients did not respond during 5 resp. 7 days of therapy.
We investigated the effect of a new synthetic protease- and phospholipase A2-inhibitor gabexate mesilate (FOY) in a multicenter (6 hospitals in Hannover and vicinity) double-blind study on the clinical course of acute pancreatitis. 50 patients were randomized into two subgroups. One group was treated with 3 X 300 mgs of gabexate mesilate per day for 9 days as a continuous intravenous infusion, the control group received placebo. There was no difference in these two groups regarding age and sex, but there was a discrepancy concerning the severity (stage I-IV) of the acute pancreatitis at the onset of treatment. More of the patients in the gabexate mesilate-group had severe disease on admission to hospital. Of the 7 patients (14%) who died, 5 were in the gabexate mesilate-group whereas only 2 were in the placebo group. This difference in the mortality rate is not significant. There was, however, a significant difference at the 5% level between the verum-group and the control group concerning the decline in alpha-amylase activity in serum and the number of complications. The difference was greatest in alcohol induced acute pancreatitis. A non-parametric test showed a significant reduction in hospitalisation time in the gabexate mesilate-group. Due to the small number of patients and the inhomogeneous clinical course of the acute pancreatitis a definite conclusion concerning the effect of gabexate mesilate on the clinical course of acute pancreatitis is not possible. Further studies with a much greater number of patients and more homogeneous groups with respect to the severity of the acute pancreatitis at the onset of the therapy with gabexate mesilate or placebo are necessary.
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Four family members covering three generations presented with chronic calcifying pancreatitis. A tumor at the pancreas head was detected intraoperatively in a fifth elderly member of the family. Two of the four cases of chronic pancreatitis were diagnosed in childhood and one in adolescence. The fourth patient had typical symptoms during adolescence but the disease was not recognized at that time. Hereditary chronic pancreatitis has an autosomal-dominant inheritance with incomplete penetrance. The pathogenesis is not known. The course of the disease differed between the family members. Duodenal stenosis with gastrointestinal bleeding was observed, but also a more mild development with recurrent pain and long complaint-free intervals. The occurrence of complications and pain appears to decrease with increasing age. The extent of calcification, widening of the duct, exocrine and endocrine pancreatic insufficiency varies. The question of conservative or operative therapy depends on the course of the disease. A Whipple operation was vitally necessary in one child at the age of six. A pancreo-jejunostomy had to be introduced in a further member of the family at the age of 20 years due to an occlusion of the duct. Two patients receive only conservative treatment.
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Liver transplantation has gained increasing interest. While liver grafting for tumor is successful over prolonged periods only in its early course, liver grafting for end-stage cirrhosis may lead to a long survival. Liver grafting in children is the most successful indication; in adults the results depend largely on timing and indication. Actual developments are mainly seen in the following points: a. Improvement in immunosuppression by use of Cyclosporin A. The resorption and metabolism of the drug, in relation to liver function, have to be carefully observed. b. The tendency to perform liver grafting electively instead of in emergency. c. Improvement in operative management, particularly the use of veno-venous bypass. d. The best possible anaesthesiological and intensive care management for the patients. It can be expected, that these developments will enable continuous improvement of results, particularly in an elective situation. One hundred and forty liver grafts have been done in our institution and the results are discussed herein. Progress in liver transplantation is marked by steadily growing numbers of liver grafts performed, and of centers performing grafts, as well as by improved success rates and the recommendation of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, based on discussions at a liver transplantation consent meeting, held in June 1983. This interest is also reflected in discussions among the medical and non-medical community. The first section of this paper will deal with the present state and results of liver grafting particularly, at our own institution and some actual developments in this field will be discussed.
The new synthetic polyvalent protease inhibitors gabexate mesilate (ethyl-p[6-guanidinohexanoyloxy]-benzoate methansulfonate) and camostate (N,N-dimethylcarbamoylmethyl-4-[4-guanidinobenzoyloxy]-phenylacetate methansulfonate) were tested for possible inhibition of phospholipase A2 activity. In a pilot study, we treated 17 patients suffering from acute pancreatitis with continuous intravenous administration of gabexate mesilate, 450 mg/d. The results were compared with a placebo group (same standard therapy) of 21 patients suffering from acute pancreatitis. In vitro experiments showed that, at concentrations between 10(-4) and 5 X 10(-4) mol/L (depending on the enzyme assay employed) for gabexate mesilate and between 10(-3) and 5 X 10(-4) mol/L for camostate, a 50% reduction in phospholipase A2 activity was effected. Comparing the two groups of acute pancreatitis patients after 6 days of treatment with gabexate mesilate, we observed a statistically significantly lower alpha-amylase activity in the serum of treated patients compared with the placebo group.
In a retrospective analysis of case reports of 115 patients with glutamate-dehydrogenase (GLDH) activity in serum of more than 100 U/l in 1979-1981, the most common causes of this increase were: acute right heart failure (28 patients), protracted septic-toxic circulatory failure (20), obstructive jaundice (18) and severe respiratory insufficiency (16), i. e. diseases causing perfusion or excretion disorders in the liver. The ratio of GLDH activity to transaminase activity provided a reliable separation of acute viral hepatitis, but not of different forms of perfusion disorders. The correlation between GLDH activity and death rate, especially in acute right-heart failure, is of prognostic value.
In the treatment of HBs-Ag positive, chronic aggressive hepatitis three therapeutic methods can principally be applied: immunosuppression, immunostimulation and an attempt at medicamentous inhibition of the virus propagation. According to the present view, the immunosuppressive treatment with glucocorticoids and azathioprine is very risky in the antigen positive form and doubtful as far as the application is concerned; it simply suppresses the defensive reaction of the organism, thus encouraging the virus replication. In individual cases remissions could be achieved by immuno-stimulation with BCG vaccine or cell wall preparations of the Propionibacterium granulosum, or by an abrupt discontinuation of an immunosuppression. Neither has the virostatic treatment with vidarabin and its monophosphatester , which was introduced in the last few years, brought any new breakthroughs. Under treatment it is mostly possible to block the virus propagation, however, after discontinuation relapses are usually the rule and lasting therapeutic successes the exception to the rule.
Recipients of renal transplants were vaccinated with 20 ng hepatitis B surface antigen aluminium-adsorbed vaccine in order to gauge their resistance to hepatitis B infection, to which these patients are at high risk. The patients were given three 40 micrograms doses of the vaccine over a period of six months and their antibody titres were measured. Only 9% of patients developed antibodies to hepatitis B and it was established that if possible all patients should receive at least one injection of hepatitis B vaccine prior to surgery.